image by Mohamed Hassan, from Pixabay The Internet is full of articles with titles such as “5 untranslatable words in the X language”. This is not one of those articles. I’m not going to claim that any of the words below are “untranslatable”. What I am going to do is introduce five Japanese words thatContinue reading "Translating Culture: 5 Intriguing Japanese Words We Need in English"
睦月 (mu-tsu-ki) “January” (archaic)
睦 = good relationships 月 = month The modern Japanese word for January is 一 (literally "1st Month"), however in the old-fashioned calendar this was known as 睦月, or "the month for good relationships". The January New Year's period is the longest and most important holiday in the Japanese calendar. Most Japanese people visit theirContinue reading "睦月 (mu-tsu-ki) “January” (archaic)"
辰 (tatsu) “dragon” (in the Chinese zodiac)
2024 is the Year of the Dragon. The usual Japanese way of writing "dragon" is 龍, but if you're talking about the dragon in the Chinese Zodiac, it's a different character - 辰. The Year of the Dragon is said to bring growth, abundance and good fortune. Here's to an abundant and fortunate 2024 🙂
あけおめ! (a-ké-o-mé) “Happy New Year!”
To wish someone "Happy New Year" in Japanese, say: あけましておめでとうございます！ (a-ké-ma-shi-té o-mé-dé-tō go-zai-masu) Or, more casually, take the first 2 syllables from each word and say: あけおめ！ (a-ké-o-mé)
師走 (shiwasu) “December” (archaic)
師 can refer to a teacher, a mentor, often in a religious sense. In this word, it means a monk. In December, monks are super busy preparing for the New Year's festival, hence why the last month of the year is literally "the month of running monks".
秋 (aki) “autumn”
According to many of my students, Japan didn't really have much of an autumn this year. Instead of having four equally long seasons, Japan is starting to have long summers, long winters, and too-short springs and autumns. Which is a shame because autumn is a lovely season when many people like to go an admireContinue reading "秋 (aki) “autumn”"
陰陽 (in-yō) “yin-yang”
Yin is dark, cold, receptive, magnetic. Yang is light, hot, giving, active. Yin and Yang are relative. The element of water is usually considered very Yin, but fast-moving water is Yang compared to still water. Both are present in everything. Rather than being opposites, they are two sides of the same coin. A cup isContinue reading "陰陽 (in-yō) “yin-yang”"
神無月 (kan-na-zuki) – “October” (archaic)
神 = god無 = not月 = month The modern Japanese word for October is 十月 (literally "10th Month), however in the old-fashioned calendar is was known as 神無月, or "the month with no gods". This is because in October, all the gods in Japan (there are believed to be 8 million of them) go toContinue reading "神無月 (kan-na-zuki) – “October” (archaic)"
Four Ways in which Japan is Really Inconvenient for Foreign Travellers
Whether it’s the obscenely punctual public transport systems, the super-efficient customer service, the health system that really works, or the eponymous convenience stores, Japan is rightfully famous for taking convenience to a whole other level. Unfortunately, nowhere is perfect. Even Japan can be inconvenient at times. In this article I’m going to introduce four waysContinue reading "Four Ways in which Japan is Really Inconvenient for Foreign Travellers"
The Unique Challenges of Renting in Japan — Part 3
Part 3: Dealing with application process In my home country of the UK, renting is a pretty simple affair. It’s not uncommon to be able to sign the contract on the same day as the viewing. Not so in Japan! Renting an apartment in Japan can potentially be a long, complicated and drawn-out process; especiallyContinue reading "The Unique Challenges of Renting in Japan — Part 3"
Calligraphy by Vicky 